Vastly Out Of Touch, says Republican National Committee: At His Town Hall In Maryland, Will Obama Repeat The Outrageous Claims His Advisors Have Made About The Economy?

WASHINGTON, July 22, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released today by the Republican National Committee:

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080519/RNCLOGO)

"University Of Maryland Officials Announced Tuesday That President Obama Will Visit Campus For A Town Hall Event On Friday." (Matthew Cella, "Obama To Hold Town Hall At U. MD. College Park," The Washington Times, 7/19/11)

RECENT OUTLANDISH ECONOMIC STATEMENTS BY WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS SHOW JUST HOW OUT OF TOUCH THEY ARE

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney: "Well, two things remain incontestably true. The economy is vastly improved from what it was when Barack Obama was sworn into office as President." (Jay Carney, White House Press Briefing, Washington, D.C., 7/21/11)

• Click To Watch Jay Carney Say The Economy Has "Vastly Improved."

DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz Claimed Obama Turned The Economy Around. DWS: "He really shouldn't be questioning the President's record, which has turned – begun to turn this economy around and now each month, each quarter has created private sector jobs, millions at this point…" (CNN's "The Situation Room," 7/20/11)

• Click To Watch DWS Say Yet Again That Obama Has Turned The Economy Around

Obama Advisor David Plouffe: "People Won't Vote Based On The Unemployment Rate." "'The average American does not view the economy through the prism of GDP or unemployment rates or even monthly jobs numbers,' Plouffe said. 'People won't vote based on the unemployment rate, they're going to vote based on: 'How do I feel about my own situation? Do I believe the president makes decisions based on me and my family?''" (Julianna Goldman, "Unemployment Rate Won't Hobble Re-Election, David Plouffe Says," Bloomberg, 7/7/11)

Obama Adviser David Axelrod Said Talk About 9.1% Unemployment Rate Is A "Meaningless Discussion." "'One monthly job figures are more robust than expected and everybody goes tearing up the one direction, and the next month they're not as good and they go in the other,' Axelrod said, referring to the negative reaction that greeted news of May's anemic jobs growth. 'For the average person this is a meaningless discussion, what is meaningful is what they experience in their own lives.'" (Sam Stein, "David Axelrod Downplays Bad Jobs News, Says Austan Goolsbee To Play Big Reelection Role," The Huffington Post, 6/8/11)

HOWEVER, AS UNEMPLOYMENT CONTINUES TO INCREASE AND THE DEBT CONTINUES TO CLIMB, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DISAGREE: THE ECONOMY HAS NOT TURNED AROUND

The Nation's Unemployment Rate Remains Bleak

Since President Obama Took Office, The Nation Has Lost 2.5 Million Jobs. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov, Accessed 7/21/11)

The Unemployment Rate Increased From 7.8 Percent To 9.2 Percent. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov, Accessed 7/21/11)

Since President Obama's $831 Billion Stimulus Bill Passed The Unemployment Rate Has Increased From 8.2 Percent To 9.2 Percent. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov, Accessed 7/21/11)

• Rather Than Keeping Unemployment Below Eight Percent, The Unemployment Rate Has Remained Above Eight Percent For A Post-WWII Record 29 Straight Months. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov, Accessed 7/21/11)
• The Average Length Of Unemployment Has Risen From 19.9 Weeks To 39.9 Weeks. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov, Accessed 7/21/11)
• The Number Of Americans Unemployed For 27 Weeks Or Longer Has Risen From 2.7 Million To 6.3 Million. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov, Accessed 7/21/11)
• The Real Unemployment Rate, Including Those Who Are Working Part-Time For Economic Reasons, Has Risen From 14.1 Percent To 16.2 Percent. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov, Accessed 7/21/11)

Obama's Policies Have Drastically Increased the National Debt

Since President Obama Took Office, The National Debt Has Increased By $3.7 Trillion. (Department Of The Treasury, "The Debt To The Penny And Who Holds It," TreasuryDirect.gov, Accessed 7/21/11)

• Currently, The Total Debt Of The US Government Is $14.3 Trillion Dollars. (Department Of The Treasury, "The Debt To The Penny And Who Holds It," TreasuryDirect.gov, Accessed 7/21/11)
• Obama's FY2012 Budget Adds $12 Trillion In New Debt Through 2021. (Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Of The U.S. Government, Office Of Management And Budget, 2/14/11)

Americans Aren't Buying The White House's Claims Of Economic Improvement

Obama's Legacy May Include The "Withering Of The American Dream." "Barack Obama's 2008 campaign trumpeted hope for the future, but his legacy may include presiding over the withering of the American Dream. Belief that the American Dream is possible has dropped by nearly 20 points since his election, falling just below one-half of U.S. adults." (John Zogby, "Obama Legacy May Be Withering American Dream," Forbes' "Data Place," 7/21/11)

• 67 Percent Of Americans Think The Country Is On The Wrong Track. (NBC News/Wall Street Journal Survey, 1000 A, MoE 3.1%, 7/14-17/11)
• Only 29 Percent Of Americans Think The Economy Is Getting Better. (Dennis Jacobe, "No Improvement In U.S. Economic Confidence In July," Gallup, 7/12/11)
• 81 Percent Of Americans Say The Current Economic Condition Is Poor. (CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll, 1015 A, MoE 3%, 6/3-7/11)
• 57 Percent Of Americans Say An Economic Recovery Has Not Begun. (ABC News/The Washington Post, 1002 A, MoE 3.5%, 6/2-5/11)
• 48 Percent Of Americans Think Another Great Depression Is Likely In The Next 12 Months. (CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll, 1015 A, MoE 3%, 6/3-7/11)

WILL OBAMA MENTION THESE STATISTICS WHEN HE SPEAKS IN MARYLAND?

During 2010, 23.7% Of Unemployed Workers In Maryland Were Out Of Work For Longer Than A Year. (Sara Murray, "Long Term Unemployment By State," The Wall Street Journal's "Real Time Economics Blog", 7/21/11)

• 38.1% Were Out Of Work For More Than 27 Weeks. (Sara Murray, "Long Term Unemployment By State," The Wall Street Journal's "Real Time Economics Blog", 7/21/11)

University Of Baltimore Economist: "The Maryland Economy Is Weak." "'The Maryland economy is weak,' said Richard Clinch, director of economic research at the University of Baltimore's Jacob France Institute. 'We need to see a broad-based national recovery, and until that happens, Maryland will lag.'" (Jamie Smith Hopkins, "Maryland Ranks Last In Pace Of Job Creation," The Baltimore Sun, 6/17/11)

Maryland Ranks Last In Pace Of Job Creation. "Hampered by a slowdown in federal spending, Maryland came in dead last in the nation for its pace of job creation over the past year, shedding almost 1 percent of its employment base — nearly 20,000 positions — the U.S. Department of Labor reported. The figures released Friday show declines in Maryland in eight of the past 12 months." (Jamie Smith Hopkins, "Maryland Ranks Last In Pace Of Job Creation," The Baltimore Sun, 6/17/11)

A Product Of The RNC Research Department

July 22, 2011

View This Briefing As A PDF

Paid For By
The Republican National Committee
310 First Street S.E.
Washington D.C. 20003
www.GOP.com
Not Endorsed By Any Candidate Or Candidate's Committee

SOURCE Republican National Committee